How big is a 2,000-square-foot
house?
Square footage is a standard part
of almost any description of a
house. It appears in construction
and remodeling estimates, sales literature,
and professional appraisals.
But how are the measurements
taken? The square footage of a
house is usually not a measure of
floor area or interior living space. If
a family is shopping for a house, or
choosing among house plans, the
published square footage can be a
poor — even deceptive — indicator
of size.
Therefore, it's important
to precisely define
your terms when describing
the measurements of a
house (or any other building).
Square footage of
what?
Appraisal Systems
The standards for measuring
square footage are
set by the professional
appraisers who estimate
replacement and market
values of structures for
banks,